BUSINESS
Can Indian startups grab the AI opportunity to threaten entrenched IT market leaders?
Indian startups in the AI space are still struggling to find themselves. In the first half of 2024, the funding for generative artificial intelligence (AI) startups in India was just around $760 million. That number has to go up if the country is to catch this wave. Otherwise, like it happened with the cloud revolution, we will have to be content with collecting the crumbs
BUSINESS
Social media engagement is a double-edged sword for CEOs
X (Twitter), though combative in its vibe, is easier for company chiefs to use and bridge information gaps with customers
BUSINESS
Dieselgate, domestic woes drive Volkswagen's India retreat
A strong domestic position can propel companies to become truly multinational
BUSINESS
How are successful startup hubs created?
A start-up city from the ground up is a great idea but a hub is built on serendipity and network rather than infrastructure
BUSINESS
After success with customers, Korean giants target Indian investors
South Korean firms LG, Hyundai have cracked the code in India markets
BUSINESS
US antitrust ruling against Google should be a warning shot for Indian monopolies
The anti-trust ruling against Google is likely to see changes in crucial search engine business, opening up more avenues for competition. Monopolies are bad for consumers and hamper innovation
BUSINESS
It’s Adani Vs Birla and Birla Vs Asian Paints in battle of giants
Cement and paints markets are like chalk and cheese and strategies for dominance or entry are different.
BUSINESS
As IT stumbles, can Indian pharma pick up the slack?
Indian drugmakers are getting on to an aggressive pitch, taking over companies and signing more deals
BUSINESS
Beyond box-ticking, it's time to reassess the role of independent directors
As tenures of several independent directors end, it's time to evaluate their performance and how to improve it
TECHNOLOGY
Intel's struggles underscore steep hurdles for India's chipmaking ambitions
That a company with a well-funded balance sheet itself is seeking external funds for its under-construction projects indicates the huge capital investments required and the challenge it poses for upstarts like India
BUSINESS
Can Indian ads go beyond tokenism to embrace diversity without fear?
Research shows that adopting diversity in advertising can be a good selling point but is that enough for brands to pivot
BUSINESS
NSE's governance woes are behind it, but regulatory thaw with Sebi remains elusive
NSE has improved immensely in its conduct post Ashish Chauhan taking the helm. But its relationship with SEBI still lacks the warmth expected of the country’s largest exchange and its market regulator
BUSINESS
For Byju's survival, founder Raveendran must take a backseat
With a depleted board, Byju’s is staring at an abyss and its founder Raveendran must let go for the firm to survive
BUSINESS
Haldiram's potential sale will eliminate another Made-in-India brand
The sale of majority stake in Haldiram’s would mean that yet another Indian bred business is perhaps prematurely hugging foreign money that could change the way it approaches business
BUSINESS
Regulators need to bat more proactively for the consumer
Instances of global regulators flagging faults in products such as food and drugs lead to knee-jerk responses from domestic regulators caught napping. They have the powers to regulate, it's time they did
TRENDS
Can Ancient Greece teach us how to dump bad politicians?
'Negative' elections: In the earliest form of democracy around 508 BC, male landowners voted each year to send "candidates" they didn’t favour into exile.
BUSINESS
Godrej family settlement basically an extension of the status quo
The amicable settlement between the branches of the Godrej family brings clarity for shareholders
SPORTS
Happy Birthday, Rohit Sharma: Why Rohit Sharma is one of cricket's most likable superstars
Rohit Sharma proves that you don't need to fit any superstar mold to be adored. He's talented, successful, yet eminently approachable. That mix of 'Hitman' on the field and chilled-out regular guy off it is what makes him such a consistently well-loved figure.
BUSINESS
Old rules of succession planning in business families don’t apply anymore
Choosing a successor in an environment where market forces are ever changing is less about who can manage the business better and more about who can manage the unpredictable future better
TRENDS
AI reshapes reality: Profits may lag, but change is here
AI startups raised $42.5 billion in 2023, with generative AI alone attracting 48 percent of that. Profits, though, are not yet visible. For all the revenues OpenAI has generated, it needs tens of billions of dollars more to fund its plans. Alphabet and Microsoft investors too have expressed concerned about the mounting costs of AI developments in recent months. On ground, AI hasn’t been the game changer these large companies had hoped for.
BUSINESS
For Indian fliers, it's back to the era of steep fares, limited flight options
Grounding of aircraft due to maintenance, pilot unavailability, shoddy planning are some of the aviation sector’s problems that threaten to continue and bother passengers
ENTERTAINMENT
50 years of The Towering Inferno: Why Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Faye Dunaway & Fred Astaire's disaster thriller kept audiences glued to the edge of their seats
From Fire! (1901) to The Towering Inferno (1974) and Titanic (1997) - the throughline in Hollywood disaster films that America can't seem to get enough of - and why Indian audiences initially rejected similar offerings from Bollywood.
BUSINESS
As Atos sinks deeper, it is advantage Indian IT firms
Atos went on an acquisition spree in the past years. Having shopped in a rush, it now desperately needs to shed flab and that’s not happening because of instability at the top
TRENDS
Only in Kolkata: Why adda discussions over tea & smokes are central to Bengal's ethos
In dissing the 'adda intellectual', Sanjeev Sanyal has missed some key points. Once defined as a 'place... (for) careless talk with boon companions', the adda is an integral part of the Bengali identity. So, give us this day our daily adda.
